Buffer and draw head



Sept. 8, 1931. J. R. HICKS BUFFER AND DRW HEAD Filed May l5, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet H .DE

INVENTOR JOL'I? Hicks b., w, @Mpg w hm his asharneys Sept. 8 l1931.

J. R. HlcKs 1,822,094

BUFFER AND DRAW HEAD Filed May l5. 1929 FIR! INVENTOR John R. HIC/fsv bv@Mw @wwe/QM@ 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES.

PATENT YoFFICE:

JOHN R. HICKS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOWARD N.E-AVEN- SON & ASSOCIATES, MINING ENGINEERS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,A CO- PARTNERSHIP COMPOSED OF HOWARD N. EAVENSON, NEFNELL G. ALFORD ANDJOHN n. HICKS y :BUFFER AND Application led lMay 15,

This invention relates to buffer and draw head construction, andparticularly to the form and mounting of a coupling yoke carried by thebuffer.

In buffer and draw head construction for mine cars and industrial carsgreat diculty has been experienced because of breakage or distortion ofthe coupling yokes. W'hen a coupling yoke is rigidly mounted in the carframe or draw head, sudden angular forces caused byv dis-alignment ofthe connected cars produce stresses tending to break or distort thecoupling yokes. Such forces are encountered because of unequal laying ofthe mine or industrial track, and are more particularly y experiencedupon derailment of oney or both of mutually connected cars. Under suchcircumstances there is a tendency for the coupling yoke on one of thecars to be forced upwardly. Attempts to avoid breakage or distortion ofthe coupling` yokes by increasing the strength of their structure havebeen only partially successful and at most have resulted in the breakageof the coupling link between adjacent yokes rather than injury to theyokes themselves.

Furthermore when coupling yokes have been rigidly mounted in the drawhead or frame of the car, an injury to the yoke, with consequentnecessity for removal and replacement, necessitates a difficult removaland replacement of the draw head members or structural members of thecar with which the coupling yoke is directly associated.

The object of the present invention is to provide a buffer and draw headconstruction in which a coupling yoke is so mounted that it is free tomove under extraordinarily applied force to relieve it from thedistorting effect thereof.

A further obj ect of the invention is to so mount the coupling yokerelatively to the buffer that the buffer is enabled to stiifen andsupport the coupling yoke structure.

In the accompanying drawings Figure I is a plan view showing a draw headand two connected buffers; Figure II is a figure partly in elevation,and partly in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. I, showing the samestructure as that illustrated in Fig. I, and shows j the yoke. j wardlyto receive the lower leg 5 of the cou- DRAW HEAD 1929. Serial No.363,315.

in dotted lines the furthermost position to which the coupling yokeassociated with one of the buffers may be swung vertically; Figure IIIis a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, showing twocooperating buffers with the coupling link removed therefrom; Figure IVis a plan view'of one buffer, showing coupling link in inoperativeposition thereon; and FigureV is a front ele-i vation of the buffer,showing the same position of the coupling link as in Fig. IV.

In the drawings the reference numeral 1 designates the draw headstructure generally, the reference numeral 2 the buffer which isassociated with the draw head shown, and reference numeral 3 designatesgenerally the cooperating buffer mounted on an adjacent mine orindustrial car.

A coupling yoke, designated generally by j the reference numeral 1,comprises spaced ceiving the coupling pin. As shown in Figs. I and II ofthe drawings, the buffer 2 carries a pin 7 fixed therein, and the buffer3 carries a removable coupling pin 8. Between the legs 5 and 6 of theyoke is a recess 9 into which extends the coupling link 10. As shown,the coupling link 10 is of special form to provide a swivellingconnection between the elements thereof, such coupling link beingillustrated and described in detail in my copending application SerialNo. 363,314, filed May 15, 1929. Connecting the legs 5 and 6 of thecoupling yoke is a body portion 11, which has ya circular surfacethroughout a portion of its extent, and which has therein a bore toreceive a pivot pin.

rIhe buffer is recessed downwardly from its upper surface to receive thebody portion 11 of the coupling yoke and has vtherein the horizontallydisposed pivot pin 12 arranged to pass through the bore in such portionof The buffer is also recessed forpling yoke and house it rearwardly ofbuffing face 3a, and has at the forward eXtremity of such recess acurved face 13 to contact a similarly formed face 14 at theforward endof the leg 5 of the yoke. Angular movement of the coupling yoke 4 aboutthe pivot pin 12 is limited by cooperating surfaces 15 and 16 on thebody member of the yoke and on the louder respectively. With therelative arrangement of these surfaces illustrated, when the surfacesare in contact swinging movement of the yoke is limited vto the brokenline position shown in Fig. II of the drawings. Opposite rotation of theyoke is limited by the seating of its lower leg 5 in lthe recess of thebuffe-r. The specific stop means shown comprise a foot 5a arranged toContact and rest on a shoulder 3a at the lower end of the curved face 13in the forward end of the recess.

It will be noted that the recess 9 of the yoke in which the link 10embraces the coupling pin 7 .or 8 is disposed upwardly beyond the pivotpin 12 .about which the coupling yoke as a whole is angularly movable.In service, therefore, the pull transmitted to the yoke by the couplinglink 10 and the coupling pin, tends to maintain the yoke in seatedposition in the buffer. Furthermore, the pivot 12 is disposed on theline of draft of t-he buffer and the draw head with which it isassociated. The normal force exerted on the parts is thus transmittedalong the longitudinal axis of the draw head. rI`he recess 9 of thecoupling yoke or head also lies, in seated position of the head, in aplane above the face 8b of the buffer, which may thus be unbrokenthroughout its inclusive area.

If the mine or industrial cars to which the structure is applied shouldpass over a portion of track so uneven that one car is ca-used to assumea. position markedly out of alignment with the other, one of the yokes lis caused to swing on its pivot pin in a vertical plane to relieve theextraordinary stress caused by the dis-alignment of the cars. Then thecars are again on an even track, the pull of the coupling link causesthe yoke to rotate oppositely, and to be again seated in the buffer. Ifone or more of the cars should be derailed, the action is even moremarked, but in this case also the angular movement of one or both of theassociated coupling yokes tends to relieve them from the stressesproduced by mutual dis-alignment of the cars which they serve toconnect.

Vhen the buffer and draw heads are not in use, the coupling link 10 maybe removed from position by withdrawal of the removable coupling pin 8.The coupling link may then be supported and retained in position out ofline with the face of buifer 2 by means of a transverse groove 17 intowhich the link member of the coupling link which is directly associatedwith the fixed pin 7 may lie. This arrangement, illustrated particularlyin Figures IV and V of the drawings, serves to prevent injury to thecoupling link during shifting of the cars, or other circumstances inwhich Vthe buffers are brought into contact while the cars are stilldisconnected.

What I claim is:

1. In buffer and draw head construction the combination of a massivebuffer having the inclusive area of its forward end forming an unbrokenbutling face, a coupling head having a lower seating leg an upperextension spaced from the seating leg and a rounded body portionextending below the upper surface of the seating leg, said buffer havinga recess behind the unbroken buiiing face with a rearward portionextending to a lower level than the forward portion of the recess, thecoupling head being so formed that in the assembly its seating leg liesin the forward portion of the recess with its upper surfaceapproximately flush with the upper surface of the buffer and so formedthat the body portion of the coupling head lies in the rearward portionof the recess, and horizontal pivotal connection between the buffer andthe body portion of the coupling head disposed below the upper surfaceof the buffer.

2. In buffer and draw head construction the `combination of a bufferhaving a forward .bufting face, a coupling head having upper `and lowercoupling members and a body portion, said buffer having a recess behindthe `bu-iiing face with a rearward portion extending to a lower levelthan the forward portion `of the recess, the coupling head being soformed that in the assembly it lies partially 1n the recess with itslower coupling member tting behind and protected by the wall of .thebutling face and extending upwardly in normal operative position nofurther than vthe upper surface of the buffer and so formed that thebody portion of the coupling head lies in the rearward and lower portionof `the recess, and horizontal pivotal connection between the buler andthe body portion of the coupling head.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN R. HICKS.

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